Identification and printing device with fraud preventing means

ABSTRACT

1,200,021. Preventing fraud; identification cards. ADDRESSOGRAPH - MULTIGRAPH CORP. 12 Jan., 1968 [12 Jan., 1967], No. 1958/68. Heading B6A. [Also in Division B8] A credit card 12 of thermoplastic material is provided with a signature area 20 to which a thin thermoplastic signature strip is heat bonded, the signature strip being receptive to ink and bearing a distinctive non-reproducible pattern 30 on its surface, whereby attempted removal of a portion of the signature causes defacing of a portion of the pattern. The area beneath the signature strip may be provided with indicia 28 voiding the device. The distinctive pattern 30 may be formed on a thin protective film of thermoplastic material bonded to the signature strip. The signature strip is applied to the card base by a method comprising providing a carrier strip (34), Fig. 4 (not shown), for the signature strip, applying the assembly of the carrier strip and signature strip to the card base by heat and pressure, and removing the carrier strip. The pattern 30 may be printed on the carrier strip, or formed as an engraved pattern on the die for applying pressure.

United States Patent [72] inventors Courtney L. Comegys 2,520,077 8/ 1950 Wolowitz 101/369 Wyncote, Pennsylvania; 2,746,877 5/1956 Matthes 156/230X Jackson S. Freundlich, South Orange; 2,804,821 9/ 1957 Misuraca 283/9 William C. Roebuck, Kearny, New Jersey 2,845,728 8/1958 Huber 283/8X [21] Appl. No. 879,299 2,903,276 9/1959 Bates 101/369 [22] Filed Nov. 24, 1969 2,988,834 6/1961 Brownlee 156/240X Continuation of Ser. No. 608,845, Jan. 12, 3,007,829 1 1/1961 Akkeron l56/23OX 1967, abandoned. 3,034,430 5/1962 Bradford 101/369 [45] Patented Dec. 8, 1970 3,098,438 7/1963 Freund 101/426 [73] Assignee Addressograph Multigraph Corporation FOREIGN P ATENTS clevelandzohh 1,040 1854 Great Britain 283/8 a corporation of Delaware Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant ExaminerJ. Reed Fisher 54 DENTIFICA AND I G VICE WI Attorneys-Russell L. Root, Ray S. Pyle and Wilmer H. Nau

FRAUD PREVENTING MEANS 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 101/369, ABSTRACT: This Specification describes a plastic card, such 01/426140/22: 56/247: 161/406, as a credit card, with a surface which normally rejects signa- 161/413, 283/9 ture inks, and having a signature receptive strip with a non- Int. oo reproducible pattern formed on the urface of the ignature G09f 3/02 strip so that any attempt to overlay the signature strip area [50] Field of Search 101/369- with a Substitute Strip by a casual f u be d 'f d 1 426i 283/7 8, 9; 117/1 1-5;40/2-2; described is a modified form of credit card in which a protec- 194/97; 156/230, 234, 239, 247; tive or translucent film overlies the pattern. Also described are 161/406, 413 methods of placing such patterned signature strips by printing [56] References Cited the pattern on the surface of a carrier, coating the carrier with signature strip material and then transferring the signature UNlTED STATES PATENTS strip, with its pattern, to the surface of the plastic card by ap- 1,891,323 12/1932 Eisenberg 156/237X plying heat and pressure.

24 r ABC COMPANY 11 CREDlT CARD 5 2 UD l [1113 -l 1 JOHN O 6 IDENTIFICATION AND PRINTING DEVICE WITH FRAUD PREVENTING MEANS This application is a continuation of our copending application Ser. No. 608,845, filed Jan. 12, 1967, now abandoned.

This invention relates to printing and identification devices in the form of relatively thin, lightweight plastic plates or cards adapted to be embossed with personal identification data.

Printing devices in the form of plastic cards embossed with customer or personalized identification data represent a widely known form of instrument, commonly referred to as credit cards, for conducting transactions such as credit purchasing of goods or services, and credit cards of this character have been rather widely adopted for banking, department store credit sales, oil station services, record keeping and the like.

Embossed personal identification data on such devices usually take the form of type characters setting forth the name and address of an individual, and in many instances also numerical accounting data that facilitate record keeping. These embossures are used in printing a record of the transactions.

Thus, during the course of a transaction, the person who is qualified to possess a card of the foregoing kind presents the card to a person in charge who then uses the card in a wellknown form of printing machine for imprinting a permanent record with the aforesaid data. This method of recording a transaction is, of course, highly advantageous inasmuch as clerical errors in record keeping are eliminated due to the permanence of the embossed data used to print the record.

It is advantageous to associate permanently with the credit card the customers signature so that comparison can be made upon signed verification of the receipt or the like by the customer.

To project the owner of the card having a signature associated therewith against fraudulent use by another upon loss of the credit card, it is essential that the signature be conditioned for voidance in the event one not entitled to the card attempts to alter the signature. In the past, attempts have been made to guard against such fraudulent use by providing in a rather narrowly defined area ona card to be embossed with personal identification data a relatively thin signature strip for placement thereon of a valid signature, and to print on the card in the area covered by the signature strip indicia voiding the card upon attempted removalof any portion of the signature strip bearing the valid signature. Such practice has been satisfactory in many instances, although it has not provided an entirely tamper-proof method due to the painstaking procedures to which unscrupulous persons will go in order to alter credit cards for their own gain, which in some cases goes so far as the production and attachment of a substitute signature strip.

Typical examples of plastic credit cards which include provision for the signatures of the owners of the cards are shown in the patents to Bates U.S. Pat. No. 2,903,276 and to Bradford U.S. Pat. No. 3,034,430.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a printing and identification device having a signature strip as aforesaid which includes not only all the advantages of the prior devices but also additional safeguarding features to afford even greater protection against fraudulent use thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plastic card having a signature strip which has on its surface a distinctive pattern which is normally relatively permanent but which is readily defaced or interrupted if any attempt is made to alter or remove all, or a portion, of the signature. The pattern may take the form of an arrangement of lines, a legend, a design, trademark or the like, which may be printed on or formed in the material of the signature strip. The pattern is nonreproducible, i.e., sufficiently delicate and/or intricate to prevent ready duplication, so that absence of the pattern or an inexpert copy would readily indicate a substituted strip.

Still another object is to afford a plastic card of the aforesaid nature which further may include a thin, protective transparent or translucent film over the printed pattern on the normal signature strip to prevent inadvertent defacing of the printed pattern thereon as, for example, by normal abrasion, rubbing, etc. In such instance, the signature is placed on the exposed surface of the protective film and the film is of such nature that any attempt to remove the signature results in virtually simultaneously removing the protective film and defacing the pattern therebeneath.

Further objects are the production of methods for applying such patterned signature strips by preforming of various types of signature strip assemblies, and then affixing the signature strips to printing and identification devices in a single step by heat and pressure.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent as the description proceeds.

IN THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a face view of a printing device embodying the invention, showing the placement of a signature on a signature strip having one form of printed pattern thereon;

FIG. 2 is a detail section, substantially enlarged, taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale of a portion of the printing device shown FIG. 1, showing a signature strip assembly, including the signature strip, the printed pattern thereon, and a carrier for the strip, with portions of the assembly in different positions related to affixing of the patterned surface signature strip to the plastic card or printing device.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing a modification of the signature strip assembly in that a thin, protective transparent or translucent film is provided which overlies the patterned signature strip;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of a modified form of the invention, showing a method of heat and pressure affixing to the face of a printing device a signature strip whose distinctive pattern is achieved by discontinuities in the surface of the strip; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale illustrating the printing device of FIG. 5, and showing the completed signature strip on the face of the printing device in relation to the stripped-away carrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred form of the invention is shown in FIG. 1 as a thin, flat, rectangular printing and identification device 10 which includes a base plate or card 12 of readily embossable thermoplastic material. The card 12 is normally of a size which can be conveniently carried in a pocket, wallet or purse.

The card 12 is utilized primarily in connection with the imprinting of sales slips, deposit slips, invoices and the like, and for this purpose the card is provided with permanent personal identification data 16, such as the name of the owner of the card, and numerical data 18 which may designate the account number assigned to the owner. At the time of a commercial transaction involving the device 10, the device is arranged in a printing machine of a well-known type in association with a record sheet, sales slip or the like and the record sheet is imprinted from the embossed data 16 and 18.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, another area 20, as defined by the panel outline 21, is shown on the surface of the card 12. The area 20 is allocated to' the reception of a signature strip 22, to be bonded to the card 12 in a manner to be described hereinafter. The reason for this is that the surface of plastic cards of this character is not receptive to most fountain pen or ball pen inks, so that a special ink receptive area must be provided for signature purposes.

Asis known by reference to Bates U.S. Pat. No. 2,903,276, the-card 12 preferably consists of thermoplastic material such as vinyl plastic, and the signature strip 22 is preferably a known heat-softenable coating receptive to writing materials and compatible with the vinyl plastic of which the card 12 is composed, so that the signature strip 22 can be readily heat bonded to the card 12 to be coextensive with the area 20.

The signature strip 22 may consist of a single coating of a white or other color opaque thermoplastic material, or it may be a combination of two or more such coatings of white, light blue or other light colors. It is sufiicient, however, that the signature strip 22 be of material which is receptive to the ordinary kinds of signature ink, and that it be of a material which may be readily affixed to the plastic card 12 as by heat and pressure.

With particular reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive, a unique feature is disclosed which affords the novel, tamper-proof credit card or printing device of the invention which will now be described. In the past, it has been found that very occasionally an unscrupulous person has managed to remove an entire signature strip (along with an authentic signature), carefully apply a new strip which has somewhat the appearance of the original strip, and then write in a signature in their own style which corresponds to the name embossed in the card, or to cover an existing signature strip with a material somewhat resembling the original strip and then sign a name to correspond to the embossed name. These attempts are usually detected, but, if carefully done, detection is sometimes difficult. However, the present invention provides a way in which the generally advantageous structure of such devices may be retained, but made more completely tamper-proof with the inexpensive but unique addition of a pattern 30 which may be applied to the signature strip 22 prior to affixing the strip to the plastic card 12. In FIG. 1, the printed pattern 30 is shown as a series of closely spaced parallel lines but this is essentially for simplicity of illustration. It will be readily understood that the pattern will usually be a legend, a design, trademark or the like which is delicate, intricate or both, arranged as a repetitively appearing pattern forming a continuous background in the area 20. In this connection attention is called to the fact that the term nonreproducible pattern may be appropriately used to identify patterns of sufiicient delicacy and/or complexity that attempts to copy the pattern by other than a craftsman having a high degree of skill would produce results readily recognized as counterfeit. The pattern 30 is a general arrangement of marks pervading the surface of the signature strip with a relatively concentrated apparent density throughout, i.e. an allover pattern. It also has visual properties of a character such that it will not mask or confuse a superposed signature, i.e. it is visually recessive compared to the usual signature, and thus may be referred to as a recessive allover nonreproducible pattern. With the signature strip 22 having a pattern 30 placed thereon, any attempt to alter the credit card by placing a false strip or overlay of the same size and shape as the authorized signature strip would be defeated inasmuch as accurately copying the pattern would not be feasible, and a clumsily copied pattern or a blank background on the strip would be readily recognized by the clerk or attendant. Incidentally, of course, any attempt to remove a signature results in defacing, interrupting or removing the pattern background in the region of removal of the signature, thus immediately disclosing fraudulent intention to a clerk or attendant in a manner similar to'the operation of the known voiding indicia which has heretofore been used beneath such signature panels.

One of the important features of the present invention is the process by which a patterned signature strip can be placed on a plastic card surface in a convenient and commercially practical manner. Rather than placing the signature strip and then printing the pattern on the surface, which involves two handling and registration steps for each card, the present invention contemplates placing both the signature strip and the pattern on the card in a single operation by means of a special assembly formed on a carrier strip for transfer to the plastic card by heat and pressure.

FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically how this is accomplished, and discloses a preferred form of a signature strip assembly 32, comprising the opaque signature strip 22 with printed pattern 30 thereon. and a carrier 34. Preparation of the signature strip assembly 32 may be accomplished in a simple but effective manner. The preferred method is to print on the carrier 34 the lines forming the design 30, and then to coat the printed surface with the material forming the layer 22. When the latter has set, as by cooling or solvent evaporation, there will be provided an assembly 32 with the printed pattern 30 facing the carrier and in which the lines forming the design are anchored to the coating 22. The assembly 32 is then inverted and placed on the plastic card 12, so as to assume the position shown in FIG. 3. Pressure is applied with a heated platen to the top surface of the carrier, whereupon coating 22 with its pattern 30 is transferred bodily to the plastic card 12 where it firmly adheres. The carrier 34 is then stripped away, as indicated in FIG. 3, at the right hand side leaving the signature strip 22 with printed pattern 30 on its top surface firmly affixed to card 12. After removal of the carrier, the printing and identification device 10 is in condition for receiving the embossures 16 and 18, if required, and the signature of the owner of the device may be placed on the ink receptive panel 22. The carrier 34 may be in the nature of a plastic film which is inherently tough and capable of withstanding the necessary heat and pressure without deforming or rupturing. A preferred material is polyethylene terephthalate resin, sold under the trademark Mylar, although other suitable films can be used.

A modified form of signature strip assembly 36 is shown in FIG. 4, comprising an opaque strip 38 having thereon a printed pattern 40 and including a thin, protective film 42 of thermoplastic material which is heat bonded to the opaque strip. The protective film 42 is preferably composed of a thin, thermoplastic heat-bondable material such as, for example, a thermoplastic lacquer coating, which is receptive to the inks usually employed in forming personal signatures and is compatible with the printed pattern 40 and with the material of the strip 38 to which it is bonded, and which is translucent or transparent so that the printed pattern or design 40 is readily visible.

Preparation of the signature strip assembly 36 is similar to that described with is to signature strip assembly 32. Thus, there is provided a carrier 44 of the same material as the carrier 34 shown in FIG. 3, upon which is first coated the protective film 42. The pattern 40 is printed on and migrates into the protective layer 42 and then the opaque layer is coated thereon andallowed to set to form the assembly 36. The assembly 36 is then inverted and placed on the plastic card 12a, so as to assume the position shown in FIG. 4. As in the case of the arrangement of FIG. 3 pressure is then applied by a heated die, not shown, to the top surface of the carrier 44. The carrier 44 is then stripped away, as indicated at the right hand portion of FIG. 4, leaving the opaque strip 38, with printed pattern 40 on its surface, and the overlying protective film 42, all firmly affixed to the card 12a. With this arrangement, attempted removal of the signature causes removal of portions of both the protective film 42 and pattern 40, due to migration of the pattern into the protective film in the course of preparation of the assembly 36.

Another form of the invention is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In this instance, an opaque signature strip 46 is coated on :1 Mylar carrier 48 and allowed to set and this combination is then inverted and placed on the plastic credit card 12b, as shown in FIG. 5 to enable the strip 46 to be affixed to the card by the previously referred to heat and pressure method. However, in this form of the invention, the design or pattern is formed by discontinuities in the signature panel material. This is accomplished by engraving a die member 52 with the desired pattern 50, placing the carrier 48 with signature strip 46 affixed thereto between the die 52 and the card 12b, and applying heat and pressure to the die 52 in the known manner. This method is effective to affix the signature strip 46 to the card 12b and at the same time from intaglio pattern 54 on the signature strip 46 which corresponds to the engraved pattern 50 in the die 52, for the coating fails to transfer at those points where the die is out of contact with the carrier.

Stripping away of the carrier 48 permits unwanted particles 46a adhering thereto to be removed from the surface of the signature strip 46 and places the card 12b in condition to receive a signature on the patterned surface of the signature strip. When the intaglio pattern 54 is thus formed on the signature strip 46, it is effective to expose the base surface 12b. The area of the card covered by the signature panel should be of a color sufficiently contrasting with that of the signature strip material to make the intaglio lines stand out. Usually the panel will be a light color to contrast with the signature ink, so that the backup color of the card surface would be at least somewhat darker. Attempted removal of a portion of the signature placed on the strip 46 defaces that portion of the pattern 54 and produces a significant contrast between the base surface 12 and the remaining portions of the pattern 54, thereby indicating tampering with the device 10.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that a highly tamper-proof credit card has been devised by providing a nonreproducible pattern, either printed or intaglio, on a signature receiving surface which pattern provides a means which makes it extremely difficult for casual forgers to replace the signature strip by a substitute without having a substitute detected by a clerk who is familiar with the standard pattern.

The foregoing description has proceeded primarily with reference to credit cards i.e., cards which have the stiffness, strength and deformation properties to be embossed so as to form printing elements. This is for the reason that these members, which are customarily made from plastic having the appropriate mechanical properties for embossing, suffer from certain drawbacks. In particular the vinyl plastic materials of which these members are made are also characterized by the inability to receive ordinary signature inks and thence require the placing of a special signature panel by heat and pressure as described in the aforementioned patents. Since this panel necessarily represents a defined area and for reasons of convenient production normally has a fairly regular outline, the making of a replacement panel or overlay of some substitute material is not particularly difficult. Because the card itself must be inherently stiff, the extra thickness added by such an overlay is not easily detectable by routine inspection. Accordingly the problem of not only providing such special signature panels cards but doing so in a way which gives adequate security against substitution is an important one, and is a problem which finds its solution in the present invention.

It will be readily realized that, while the benefits apply especially to plastic cards intended for embossment, the same problem may obtain with respect to identification cards which may be made of this type of material which rejects ordinary signature inks, whether or not they are intended to be embossed.

We claim:

1. ln a printing and identification device which comprises a substantially rectangular thermoplastic base having an area thereon allocated to the reception of permanent embossed identification personal to the owner of the device, and having another area thereon allocated to the subsequent reception of a personal signature:

a thin, thermoplastic signature strip heat bonded to said base and overlying said other area;

a distinctive nonreproducible recessive allover pattern formed on the surface of said strip; and

a protective film of thermoplastic material, compatible with the material of the signature strip and with the pattern, bonded to the strip in overlaying relation to said pattern, said protective film being receptive to the inks usually employed in forming a subsequently received personal signature.

2. In a printing and identification device which comprises a substantially rectangular thermoplastic base having an area thereon allocated to the reception of permanent embossed identification personal to the owner of the device, and having another area thereon allocated to the subsequent reception of a personal signature: a thin, thermoplastic signature strip heat bonded to said base and overlying said other area, said strip being receptive to a personal signature corresponding to the permanent identification, and being formed by heat and pres- LII sure with intaglio lines sufficiently exposing the base surface to display a distinctive nonreproducible recessive allover pat tern contrasting in color with the color of the signature strip.

said pattern forming a continuous background which would underlie a subsequently received personal signature.

3. In a printing and identification device which comprises a substantially rectangular thermoplastic base having an area thereon allocated to the reception of permanent embossed identification personal to the owner of the device, and having another area thereon containing indicia voiding the device upon exposure of any portion of said other area.

a thin, thermoplastic signature strip heat bonded to said base and overlying said other area;

a distinctive nonreproducible recessive allover pattern formed on the surface of said strip; and

a protective film of thermoplastic material, compatible with the material of the signature strip and with the pattern, bonded to the strip in overlying relation to said pattern, said protective film being receptive to the inks usually employed in forming a subsequently received personal signature.

4. In an identification device which comprises a plastic base whose surface normally rejects signature inks having an area thereon allocated to the subsequent reception of a personal signature:

a thin thermoplastic signature strip heat bonded to said base and overlying said signature area;

a distinctive nonreproducible recessive allover pattern formed on the surface of said strip; and

a thin thermoplastic protective film, compatible with the material of the signature strip and with the pattern, bonded to the strip in overlying relation to said pattern, said film being receptive to signature inks, resistant to normal abrasion, but readily removable by attempted erasure.

5. The method of providing on a plastic identification device whose surface normally rejects signature inks, an ink receptive thermoplastic signature strip having a distinctive nonreproducible pattern apparent on its surface, comprising the steps of:

providing a carrier for the signature strip;

coating the carrier with thermoplastic signature strip material to form an assembly;

placing the assembly on the device with the coated side in contact therewith;

applying pressure with a heated die engraved in accordance with said pattern to the carrier side of the assembly to thereby affix the signature strip to the device only in the areas of die contact; and

stripping the carrier and unwanted signature strip particles adhering thereto from the device.

6. In an identification device which comprises a plastic base whose surface normally rejects signature inks having an area thereon allocated to the subsequent reception of a personal signature: a thin, thermoplastic signature strip heat bonded to said base and overlying said signature area, said strip being receptive to a personal signature and being formed by heat and pressure with intaglio lines sufficiently exposing the base surface to display a distinctive nonreproducible recessive allover pattern contrasting in color with the color of the signature strip, said pattern forming ,a continuous background which would underlie a subsequently received personal signature.

7. In an identification device which comprises a plastic base whose surface normally rejects signature inks having an area thereon allocated to the subsequent reception of a personal signature:

a thin, thermoplastic signature strip heat bonded to said base and overlying said area;

a distinctive nonreproducible recessive allover pattern formed on the surface of said strip; and

a protective film of thermoplastic material, compatible with the material of the signature strip and with the pattern,

employed in formin signature.

g a subsequently received personal 

